We will invest in our cultural and creative industries to create jobs and grow the middle class, and to strengthen our rich Canadian identity.

Canada’s cultural and creative industries are a vibrant part of our national identity and our economy, providing employment to more than one million Canadians.

Unfortunately, these industries have been under attack during the Harper decade, hit by funding cuts that have made it harder for Canadian artists to share Canadian stories, here in Canada and around the world.

We will invest in our cultural and creative industries to help support and grow these nation-building efforts.

Targeted investments will include:

doubling investment in the Canada Council for the Arts to $360 million each year;

increasing funding for Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board, with a new investment totalling $25 million each year; and

restoring the Promart and Trade Routes international cultural promotion programs cut by Stephen Harper, and increasing funding in these programs to $25 milllion each year.

As part of our commitment to create 40,000 youth jobs each year, we will increase funding for the Young Canada Works program to help prepare the next generation of Canadians working in the heritage sector.

We will also make significant new investments in cultural infrastructure as part of our investment in social infrastructure.